Stiff leg connecter



May 15, 1934. o. 1.. BERBY 1,958,780

STIFF LEG CONNECTER Filed Feb. 15. 1952 Patented May 15, 1934 UNITED STATES STIFF LEG Ola L. Berby, Duluth, Minn.,

Iron Works, Duluth, Maine CONNECTER assignor to Clyde Minn., a. corporation of Application February 15, 1932, Serial No. 593,109

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a stiff leg connecter wherein two or more stiff legs may be connected with a mast to form a rigid working tripod.

Heretofore stiff leg derrick mast tops with stiff leg connections to the mast have been provided of various types, however, these former types of stiff leg connections have been limited with reference to the number of legs that could be connected to the mast top as well as other structural disadvantages owing to the bulky construction thereof, making it awkward to make the connections, particularly where a number of stiff legs are required to firmly support the top or one end of the mast in operative position and to permit the free swinging of the boom through as large an arc as the position of the stiff legs will permit in the operation of the derrick.

This stiff leg connecter is primarily of a simple construction and provides a means for supporting the stiff legs in a manner to overcome the eccentric or torsional loads in each leg and to center the forces at one point where they will combine into one vertical or alined resultant so that all members including the mast will carry straight tension or compression stresses.

It is a feature to provide a stiff leg connecter and mast top wherein a bearing for the upper sector shaped flange projects from the bearing and in which openings are formed to receive the connections for the top of the stiff legs. The openings in the flange provide a means of connection for the top of the stiff legs, each opening being positioned to support the top or stiff leg in the same relative position, or with the same radii in relation to the axis of the bearing formed for the mast. This integral flange is like a sector or portion of an outside surface of a cone and permits the forming of a stiff leg connection in a casting particularly adapted to support the stiff legs in a better and more effective manner to the mast. This provides a unitary single piece stiff leg connecter for derrick mast tops or other similar purposes which permits a greater number of stiff leg connections without interfering with the operation of the mast and boom, and making a far more simple connection than has been used heretofore for this purpose.

The features and details of the stiff leg connecter will be hereinafter more fully and clearly defined.

In the drawing forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 illustrates a stiff leg derrick with the mast and stiff legs united at the mast top by my connecter.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing the stiff legs extending from my connecter to their anchoring positions. 7

Figure 3 is a plan view of the stiff leg connecter.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of another form of my connecter.

The ordinary derrick such as is illustrated in Figure 1, includes a mast 10, boom 11, stiff legs 12, stiff leg anchor fastening means 13, bull wheel 14, and other incidental connecting and operating members including the stiff leg connecter A, which connects the mast top and upper end of the stiff legs together.

The stiff leg connecter A performs an important function in the operation of a derrick of any type, and a stiff leg connecter such as A may be adaptable to other uses than with derricks of the type illustrated. The stiff leg connecter A is formed in a single piece with a bearing portion 15 which may be fitted with a bushing 16 in which the .upper end of the mast 10 is mounted, so that the mast can rotate to carry the boom 11 free to swing from side to side.

The connecter A is formed with an integral angularly depending flange 17 which may be of a sector shape, or similar to a sector of a cone, with an outer arcuated end 18. The flange 1'7 is adapted to support or have formed therein a series of openings 19 which have formed around the same a reinforcing boss 20. This provides a single piece connecter for the stiff legs of a strong and substantial nature. Suitable radially extending reinforcing ribs 21 may be formed in the connecter A between the boss 20 and the body of the portion 15 which forms the bearing for the top of the mast. The connecter A may be of the character and shape illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, where the outer edge 18 is in the form of an arc of a circle, and with two radii edges 22 extending from the portion 15 to the boss 20 of the outer openings 19. The connecter A may also be formed as illustrated in Figure 5, where the edge of the flange between the bosses 20 is arcuated inwardly at 18' as well as the edges 22 being formed with an inwardly extending arcuated edge, thus reducing the material in the sector flange 17.

The connecter A is ordinarily formed in the shape illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. This form provides a simple strong stiff leg connecter so that the top end of the stiff legs may be connected to the mast more easily than has been accomplished heretofore. However, it is apparent that the shape of the connecter A may be varied and formed as illustrated in Figure 5, or even formed where the space of the flange 1'! between the openings 19 and the reinforcing bosses therefor, would be cut away to the extent of providing a series of spoke-like members or portions projecting from the bearing portion 15. It is desirable to maintain the openings 19 spaced radially from the axisiof the member 15 andlthe portionisuch as the flange 17 or any other form or shape of connecting means between the bearing portion 15 and the bossed openings 19 be so shaped asto.

provide the most efficient and effective support? ing and connecting means for the stifflegs in'a derrick, or where it is desirable to use stiff legs.

connected to a center member like themast 10;

With my stiff leg connecter A the loads and stresses are more evenly distributed and the members are held together in a more efficient manner. This connecter overcomes many undesirable fea: tures of stiff leg connecters which have been used heretofore.-

In'accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principles of my stiff leg connecter ,projecting from said bearing portion, a series of bossed openings formed in said flange means, and radially "extending reinforcing ribs connecting saidbearing means with said bossed openings to reinforce the same.

2. Astiff'legconnecter including, a single piece membena bearing portion, a sector-shaped flange extending radially from said bearing portion and depending angularly therefrom, openings for stiff leg. connections in said flange, and reinforcing ribs extending between said openings and said bearing portion.

3.; A'stiffleg connecter having a series of openings formed to attach the upper ends of a series of 'stifflegs to support the same extending radially from a commoncenter, a bearing portion formed atithe common center, and means extending less thanhalf'the circumference of the bearing for connecting said bearing with said openings for connecting the ends of the stiff legs, whereby the connections of the stiff legs may be positioned in a common angular plane in relation to the common center and bearing to overcome eccentric and torsional loads in the stiff legs.

4. A stiff leg connecter comprising, a bearing portion formed to receive a derrick mast top to support the same. rotatable in said bearing, a sector-shaped. downwardly sloping skirt-like." flange projecting from the side of said bearing portion and extending less than 180 degrees around said bearing, and having a series of reinforced openings formed in said flange to support the top of stiff leg members radially spaced from the axis of said bearingxportion.

5. A-connecter fora derrick mast top and stiff legs including, aibearing portion formed to receive a derrick mast top, a skirt depending angularlyfrom'butone'side of said bearing portion virtually on a line with the attached stiff legs, means for attaching said stiff legs to said bearing portion, openings through said skirtto-accommodata said :stifl leg. securing. means extending in .a' verticalplane. through said stiff ileg; said :openings' extending at: right angles to .the. center. line of said stiffleg.

6. A stiff leglconnecter including, amain hearing portion, a. web flange dependingv angularly. from said hearing as the sector-ofa cone the axis ofwhich coincides with that'of'. the bearing, one side-of'the bearing-remaining open, andopenings inthe edge of said flange forconnectingvstiffrlegs:

to the edge of said flange.

'7. A mast and stiff leg connecter including; a:

sector of a hollowcone-shaped flange, a mast bearing axially coinciding with the cone 'andiextendingto one side of saidsector, and means for:

connecting stiff legs pivotally to said flange.

8; A- mast andstiif leg connecter including, a

mastibearing, a downwardly and outward1y:slop-- ingsector shapedflange projecting fromathertop of said bearing, leaving one side of therbearing;

flange forconnection with stiff legs downwardly:-

and outwardlysloping in alignment 'with: said flange, and ribs extendinglfrom the lowerportion of said bearing to said-flange adjacent said'holes.

OLA- L.- Better. 

